A timeline for a wedding day is necessary. It helps us make sure we get everything you want, that everything is set up on time, and that we are always where we need to be…but of course, days are always perfectly imperfect, so timelines are also to prepare for the unexpected things and give us cushion to be flexible if things may go not as planned. 

One of the first things I consider before discussing any type of timeline is how you are as a bride. Are you laid back and go with the flow or do you like and appreciate structure? Would you classify yourself as Type A or Type B? 

Knowing who you are helps to decide how much room to give to each section of the day and how flexible to make the schedule.  

There are more general things to consider that can impact your timeline like when the ceremony will start, when’s dinner, how many guests will you have, and how large is your bridal party, but there’s also things that are unique how you specifically want to spend your day like having a first look or having any surprises and special gifts.

As a professional wedding photographer, I’ve built out several wedding timelines and helped a lot of brides through their wedding day. 

On an average wedding day, I can get everything needed in 8-9 hours, and I’ve made a system out of it, so I’ve put together a little list of some things to think about and ways to make your wedding day as smooth as possible. 

The Morning Of

The very first thing that you will do on the morning-of is get your hair and makeup done. When this begins and how long this takes all depends on who is getting what done. How many bridesmaids do you have and are the mothers joining?

The MUAH artists will be able to tell you how much time each face and head will take, and you can work backwards from the time you need to be ready by to know when you’ll need to start – or if you’ll need to add on additional MUAH artists.

(The size of your bridal party doesn’t just affect your make-up and hair; it also increases the time it takes to capture bridal party photos and individuals with each of your groomsmen and bridesmaids! These are things we would give room for in your timeline as well.)

Usually, I’ll arrive at the venue around the time that Hair and Make-Up is finishing up. While everyone does their finishing touches, I’ll photograph your details – wedding dress, rings, shoes, jewelry, etc.

Pre-packing all of the details you want photographed is super helpful for me, and it helps me avoid interrupting the MUAH in their process of glamming you up! 

I also recommend going ahead and hanging your dresses on any specialty hangers you’ve brought, removing the tags, and making sure they are steamed before I arrive! 

I HIGHLY recommend steaming the dresses the night before to avoid adding humidity to the room and potentially ruining your just-done hair and make-up. This keeps us on schedule because steaming the day-of can take up all the time that was designated for getting dressed. 

If You Have A Videographer or Content Creator

Whether or not you are hiring a videographer or a content creator is definitely something that we would factor into your timeline. 

While your video team and I can share a lot of the same poses, video, unlike photo, needs movement. This means that we will need more time for portraits to be able to get enough poses, variety, and movement for both photo and video. 

If you are planning on recording audio of your vows or private letters we’ll also want to account for additional time so video can get you all mic’d up. 

How Many Locations Are In The Day?

Multiple locations, especially if you have to drive to them, can take up large chunks of your photography coverage. We’ll have to determine the most efficient way to have me get around to multiple locations and also factoring in how long it takes to move people from spot to spot (we all know it’s like herding cats). 

Transportation around a large venue can also impact your timeline, but not as drastically. If we want multiple portrait locations that are far from each other requiring us to either walk or drive a golf cart, we would factor that travel into the timeline as well. 

Thankfully most large properties do have golf carts but you do often have to reserve them ahead of time!

The First Look

I am a huge fan of what a first look can do for a wedding day. It completely changes the energy and can make everyone relaxed and calm since it allows for so much to be done before the ceremony time. 

With a first look, we can shoot the majority of portraits, bridal party, AND even family pictures before the ceremony. If you have little ones that you want included in family portraits, it is always better to get them early in the day when they are still happy, and honestly, that applies to everyone. I always say that everyone is there to celebrate, not take photos. 

Having a first look allows us to be done with most, if not all, of your portraits by the end of your ceremony. This means that you get to join your cocktail hour or have a moment of rest, and all you have to worry about the rest of the day is enjoying the party! 

If you want to do more than just a first look with your soon-to-be hubs, like one with your dad, siblings, or other special people in your life, that will need to be factored into the timeline beforehand, so we can stay on track. 

Keep in mind, videographers like to mic people up before a first look, so that would add a few extra minutes to each look, and those little things can add up if not accounted for. 

Regardless of if you have a first look or not, we know you won’t want to be seen by guests before the ceremony, so we will need to be done with individual groomsmen and bridesmaids portraits 30-60 minutes before the ceremony time to make sure you are hidden. 

Here are two timelines for example, one with a first look and another without: 

Gifts

Somewhat similar to a first look on a timeline, giving gifts and wanting them photographed needs to be scheduled also. This can look like having each person open theirs one at a time (which obviously takes more time) or opening them all together. 

We typically do this near the beginning of the day, especially if the gift is to be used later in the day. I might even suggest doing it before hair and make-up, or on your rehearsal day, in case you have any cryers in the family. 

The Season, Sunset, and Dinner Time

There are a few details in your timeline that are dependent on the time of year you get married. The sun sets earlier in the winter and sets at its latest in the summer, so this would affect how early or late you can have your ceremony which then affects the other events in your day.

A ceremony time is typically 2-3 hours before sunset, and for couples who are more concerned with eating near a normal dinner time, this may cause the ceremony to be pushed forward or backward, depending on when dinner is to be served. 

At whatever time dinner is served, you also have to consider how long the dinner will take. A buffet is going to be faster than a plated meal because you don’t have to worry about catering staff bringing food to every table. (Tip: If you do decide on a plated meal, make sure that the caterer brings enough staff to serve your guests in a timely manner.)

The more guests you have, the longer it will take for everyone to get their plate. We can time some of the events, like toasts and cake cutting, to happen at the tail end of dinner so those who ate first aren’t getting bored and losing energy before the dance floor opens.

The Toasts 

Toasts are also a big part of the wedding reception. Some advice I’d give to the toasters on your wedding day is to keep the overall toast at five minutes or less, unless they are a really entertaining, public speaker! (While toasts are for the bride and groom, you still have to consider the guests’ attention.) 

If you realize that you have a lot of people who would like to toast you, and you’re looking at a potential twenty minutes of toasts at your reception, you always have the option to let some people speak at your rehearsal dinner, that way they still have the opportunity to say something meaningful to you in front of guests. 

The Dance Floor 

The perfect, sweet spot photography coverage for the dance floor is around an hour or so. This is enough to capture the feel and the energy of the night without overshooting.

The only reason to add time to your reception coverage is if you would like to capture your exit from the party.

HOT TAKE: Professionally, I typically don’t recommend doing a fake exit unless it is really important to you to involve your guests for the background. I’ve found that it can kill the momentum of your party and that a lot of your guests treat it as a real exit and never re-enter. 

If an exit-like photo is important to you but you don’t want to add coverage, I love pulling you and your partner outside the party for flash or night portraits. This captures the same feeling of an exit photo without having to pause the party. 

We will discuss your timeline way before your wedding day, so we will always be prepared on the day-of for both the expected and unexpected. As long as you consider some of the things above and what is really important, your wedding day will go off without a hitch!  

Looking for a photographer that feels like a match made in heaven?
I’m ready to start helping you plan a timeline that gives you the day of your dreams!!